Machine for making and driving staples.



f P. A. ,GOUPAL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

Patented May 7, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 1.'

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 21, 1910.

P.A.GOUPAL. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB BI, 1910.

Patented May 7,1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. A. GOUP AL. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; 21, 1910.

Patented May 7, 1912..

. L4 SEBET8-SHBET 3.

P. A. GOUPAL. I MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES. APPLICATION FILED I'EB.21, 1910.

Patented May 7, 1912;

14 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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Zflz'tna; Inv'ento 7.

. I WM COLUMBIA PI ..ANOORAPH CO" WASHINGTON; D. C.

P. A. COUPAL.

MAGHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

QWUQWQ'QUON \O g g sgsfih a sflaggabr a avQ\sa a e a Patented May 7, 1912.

14 sums-sum 5.

, ktsklh APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1910.

witnesses:

COLUMBIA PLANODRAPH co..wAsulNG1cN, D4 c.

P. A. GOUPAL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 21, 1910.

1 25,248. Patented May 7, 1912.

I14 SHBETSSHEET 6.

C) as:

P. A. OOUPAL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 21, 1910. i

- Patented May 7, 1912.

- 14 SEEETS-SHEET 7.

Fig.6

Jnve 71/60 7" wizneasea P. A. GOUPAL MAGHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

APPLICATION FILED 1'33. 21, 1910. v

' Patented- May 7,'--1912.v

14 SHEETS-SHEET 8;

coLUMBI'A PLANQGRAPH Cal-, WASHKNDTON D c P. A. COUPAL. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES. APPLICATION-FILED r212. 21, 1910.

Patented May-7, 1912.

14 sums-$111121! 0.

P. A. GOUPAL. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

Patented May 7, 1912.

14 BHEETSeSHEET 10.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1910.

COLUMBIA PLAND'GRAPH CO., WASHINGTON. n. c.

P. A. GOUPAL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

' APPLIGATION FILED IEB. 21, 1910.

1,025,248. Patented May 7, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 11L g 5 an.

- cOL UMmA PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTONY D. c I

P. A. OOUPAL. MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

' APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 21,1910. 1,025,248, Patented M5 7, 1912.

, 14 SHEETS-SHEET 12.

wimesses fnz je ntr COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII cm, WASHINGTON. u. c.

P. A. GOUPAL. MAGHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES. APPLICATION- FILED FEB. 21, 1910.

v Patented May 7,1912.

14 SHEETS-$111331 13.

Patented May 7, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEBTM.

witnesses fmbw llfTED STATES RQLFENT OFFfU.

PETER, A. COUPAL, OF SOUTH BOSTON, MAsgAOl-IUsETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BUFFALO SHOE 00., 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND DRIVING STAPLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

Application filed February 21, 1910. Serial No. 545,011.

To all whom it may 00ncern:

Be it known that I, PETER A. COUPAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Machines for Making and Driving Staples, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for automatically making and driving staples and particularly to a staple making and driving machine which is capable of permanently connecting the upper, inner sole, and the welt of a shoe and which is also capable of being employed in the manufacture of another class of shoes having no welt, in which case the staples are driven through the outer sole, the upper and the inner sole.

The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the wire feeding instrumentalities, whereby the wire shall be fed from the reel with accuracy and certainty and to provide means to adjust the wire feeding devices and to hold the adjusting means in a predetermined position of adjustment so that the feeding devices may be instantly thrown out of action to permit the introduction of a new supply of wire and again instantly thrown into their previously adjusted position ready for operation, thus effecting a great saving in time consumed in making adjustments.

Still other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

I do not claim herein the horn pressure mechanism nor the edge gage and welt guide, but reserve these devices as the subject matter of separate applications to be filed hereafter.

The invention consists in-the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a staple making and driving machine embodying my invention, the same being viewed from the right hand side thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the superstructure or head of the machine. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the superstrncture or head of the machine viewed from the right hand side of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the superstructure or head of the machine as viewed from the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view or chart illustrating graphically the paths of the various cams and showing the relation and extent of movement of each to the others, the uppermost line representing the cam nearest the back of the machine and the lowermost line representing the cam nearest the front of the machine with the others in their proper relation therebetween. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation viewed from the left hand side of the machine, showing in detail the mechanism for adding spring pressure to the work supporting horn and showing also the mechanism for operating the awls, showing also the movable head. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail side elevation of a part of the horn treadle rod, showing the ratchet sleeve thereon and showing the pawl for actuating the same. Fig. 8 is an eleva tion similar to Fig. 6 with the exception that the parts are in the position which they occupy when the horn has been depressed to admit a. thick piece of stock. Fig. 9 is a detail left hand elevation showing the former or anvil with the mechanism for imparting a forward and backward movement to the same, showing also the driver and throat slides and their actuating mechanisms. Fig. 10 is a detail plan section taken on line 10l0 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail left hand elevation of the shoe feeding mechanism. Fig. 12 is a detail front elevation of the shoe feeding mechanism, the shoe rest being shown in section. Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail section of the shoe rest viewed from the front of the machine showing a piece of stock located between the shoe rest and the work supporting horn, showing the feed point in full lines in its initial position and in dotted lines in three other positions. Fig. 14 is a detail left hand elevation of the Wire feeding mechanism. Fig. 15 is a detail rear elevation of a portion of the wire feed mechanism. Fig. 16 is a detail front elevation of the wire feed mechanism. Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 17-17 of Fig. 2. Fig. 18 is a detail front elevation of the wire feed mechanism similar to Fig. 16, but with the parts in a different position. Fig. 19 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation taken on line 19-19 of Fig. 2, looking toward the right. Fig. 20 is a detail side elevation partly in section, of the wire locking device. Fig. 21 is a plan section taken on line 2121 of Fig.

20. Fig. 22 is a detail perspective view of the wire guide. Fig. 23 is a detail perspective view as viewed from the front right hand side of the machine showing the wire cutting device, the anvil or former, and its clamp, the point bending device, and the wire stripper, together with the lever which carries the upper movable wire cutter. Fig. 24 is a bottom plan of the shoe rest, the edge gage, and the adjusting devices for the same. Figs. 25 and 26 show in left hand and front elevation, respectively, the welt guide which may be used as an attachment. Fig. 27 is a detail section taken on line 27--27 of Fig. 26. Fig. 28 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation, partly broken away, showing the anvil, shoe rest, horn, throat and driver and showing a shoe in section, partly broken away between said shoe rest and said horn with the driver at its lowermost point, the staple being driven. Fig. 29 is a detail front sectional elevation illustrating the anvil, throat and driver with the blank supported on the anvil and the lower extremities of the throat resting upon the blank preparatory to bending the same. Fig. 30 is a vertical sectional elevation viewed from the left of the machine illustrating the anvil, throat and driver with the throat part way down, having bent the extremities of the blank downwardly to form the staple. Fig. 31 is a sectional elevation taken on line 3131 of Fig. 80. Fig. 32 is a sectional elevation taken on line 32-82 of Fig. 28, looking toward the right.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, referring now particularly to Fig. 1, 40 is the frame of the machine comprising a base 41, a column 42 and a head casting 43 supported thereon. Journaled in the head casting 43 is a driving shaft 44 having thereon a driving pulley 45 which may contain any desired clutch mechanism of the well known class in which the clutch is engaged by depressing a treadle connected thereto and after the treadle has been released the clutch is automatically disengaged at a predetermined point in the rotation of the shaft, and such clutches being old and well known to those skilled in the art, it will not be necessary for me to illustrate the same.

Clutch operating mccham'sm.To engage and disengage the clutch, I provide a clutch treadle 46 pivoted at 47 on the base 41 of the machine. A clutch rod or link 48 is pivotally connected at its lower end at 49 to the clutch treadle 46 and at its upper end is pivotally connected at 50 to a bell crank lever 51 pivoted at 52 on the frame of the machine, said bell crank lever being connected by any suitable means to a clutch, whereby the same may be thrown into and out of action.

H 01% and horn pressure mechanism.-5Z-3 is a shoe rest or work plate against the under side of which the bottom of the outer sole of a shoe may be placed and 54- is a work supporting horn which is adapted to enter the shoe and rest against the inner or upper side of the sole, said horn being fast to a vertical shaft 55 which is journaled in an upper bearing 56 and a lower bearing 57 on a horn treadle 58 in a well known manner, whereby said horn may be controlled in its movements vertically by said treadle. In Fig. 1 the horn is shown in its uppermost position, which position the same occupies when a piece of stock such as the sole of a shoe of minimum thickness is located between said horn and the shoe rest. The horn treadle 58 is pivotally mounted on the pivot 47 which also serves as a pivot for the clutch treadle 46. A horn treadle rod 59 is pivotally connected at 60 to the rear end of the horn treadle 58, the upper portion of said rod being arranged to slide in two guides 61 and 62 on the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine, said guides being clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 8. A helical extension spring 63 surrounding the treadle rod 59 is fast at its upper end to a collar 64 fast to said rod, while the lower end of said spring is fast to a collar 65 within which said rod is adapted to slide, the collar 65 being held against vertical. movement by a bracket 66 which extends into a groove 67 formed in the collar 65. Thus it will be seen that the spring 68 tends to move the rod 59 downwardly. An adjustable stop screw 68 having screw-threaded engagement with the treadle rod 58 is adapted to abut at its lower end against an abutment 69, thereby limiting the upward movement of the horn 54 under the influence of the spring 63.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 6, 7, and 8, 70 is a helical compression spring encircling the rod 59, the lower end of said spring bearing against a collar 71 fast to said rod, while the upper end of said spring bears against a collar 72 which is slidable vertically upon said rod, the extent of upward movement of the collar 72 being limited by a collar 78 fast to said rod. Fast to or formed onthe collar 72 is a ratchet 74 which is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 75 pivoted at 76 on a pawl carrier 77, said pawl, in the initial position of the machine, being separated from said ratchet by a guard plate or shield 78 fast to the frame of the machine. A pin 79 slidably arranged in a hole provided in the pawl carrier 77 is held in contact with the pawl 75 by a helical compression spring 80. The pawl carrier 77 is fast to a vertically slidable nod 81 which is arranged to slide in guides 82 and 83 provided on the frame of the machine. An arm 84 rigidly secured to the rod 81 carries a cam roll 85 which is located in a cam groove 86 formed in a cam 87, said cam acting through the rod 81 to impart one complete reciprocation to the pawl 75 during each rotation of the driving shaft 44 to which said cam is fast.

A vertical guide pin 88 fast to a part of the frame of the machine extends downwardly through a hole provided in the arm 84 thus acting to hold said arm and the rod 81 against rotation in the guides 82 and 83. When the pawl 75 is carried downwardly, under the influence of the cam 87, said pawl passes out of engagement with the guard plate 78 and passes into engagement with the nearest tooth of the ratchet 74, thereby carrying the collar 7 2 downwardly and thus compressing the spring 70, thereby during such downward movement of said collar adding to the spring pressure which tends to move the work supporting horn 54 upwardly. During the upward movement of the pawl 7 5 the tension on the spring is correspondingly diminished. It will be understood, however, that the collar 73 is so placed that the spring 70 is at all times under some tension.

In Fig. 6, the upper face of the horn 54 is at the minimum distance from the shoe rest 53, that is, the parts are so located for a shoe sole of minimum thickness. It will be seen that when the horn 54 is in this position, the collar 72 is carried downwardly by the pawl very nearly the entire stroke imparted thereto by the cam 87. If, however, a thicker piece of stock is placed between the shoe rest 53 and the horn 54 so as to move the horn downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 8, the rod 59 acts to carry the collar 72 and ratchet 74 into the position shown in Fig. 8. Therefore, on the next downward stroke of the pawl 75 the same will engage the ratchet 74 at a lower point than before and consequently the action of the cam 87 will not carry the collar 72 as far as before. The purpose of this is to cause the spring pressure applied to the horn to be the same no matter what the thickness of stock may be between said horn and the shoe rest 53, for it will be understood that were it not for the provision of the mechanism just described the upward pressure on the horn would be greater with thick stock than it is with thin stock.

In the operation of the machine as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, the tension of the spring 70 is momentarily in creased during the action of the awls and the driving of the staple so that the combined tension of the spring 7 O and the spring is at that time opposed to the action of the awls and the force of the blow of the driver.

Shoe feeding mechanism.-Referring now particularly to Figs. 11, 12 and 13, it will be seen that the shoe rest 53 is provided with a transverse hole 89 extending therethrough, which hole a feed point or spur 90 is adapted to enter at the proper time in the operation of the machine. The feed point or spur 90 is fast to a floating lever 91 which is pivotally connected at 92 to a rocker arm 93, said rocker arm being fast to a rock shaft 94 journaled in bearings 95 and 96 on the head cast-ing 43 of the frame of the machine. The rock shaft 94 has fast thereto a rocker arm 97 carrying a cam roll 98 located in a cam groove 99 formed in a cam 100, said cam being adapted to act through the rocker arm 97 and rock shaft 94 to impart a rocking movement to the rocker arm 93, thereby acting to impart a vertical reciprocatory movement to the floating lever 91. The lever 91 is pivotally connected at 101 to a link 102, said link being in turn pivotally connected at 103 to a rocker arm 104. The rocker arm 104 is fast to a rock shaft 105 journaled in a bearing 106 on the head cast-ing 43 of the frame of the machine, said rock shaft having also fast thereto a second rocker arm 107. The rocker arm 107 is pivotally connected at 108 to a link 109, said link being pivotally connected at 110 to a cam lever 111 which lever is pivoted at 112 on the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine. On the lever 111 is journaled a cam roll 11.3 which is located in a cam groove 114 formed in a cam 11-5 fast to the driving shaft 44, said cam being adapted to act through the lever 111, link 109, rocker arm 107, rock shaft 105, rocker arm 104, and link 102 to impart a horizontal reciprocatory movement to the lower end of the floating lever 91. The pivot 110 is adjustably arranged in a segmental slot 116 formed in the lever 111, whereby the extent of movement of the feed point or spur 90 105 toward the right and left may be determined.

The initial position of the feed point or spur- 90 is shown in full lines in Fig. 13. The first movement of the feed spur imparted there to by the cam acts through the connec- 110 tions just described to move the same into the dotted position marked 2, Fig. 13.

The next movement is downwardly toward the left to the position shown in dotted lines marked 3, Fig. 13, at which time the 115 spur enters the shoe sole, this movement taking place under the combined influence of the cams 100 and 115. The spur having now entered the shoe sole, said spur is carried in a straight path toward the left into the posi- 120 tion shown in dotted lines and marked 4 in Fig.13, thereby feeding the shoe toward the left, Fig. 13. The spur then moves upwardly toward the left under the combined influence of the cams 100 and 115 to the p0sition shown in full lines in Fig. 13. The feeding mechanism thus constitutes what is known as a four-motion feed, the point of the spur tracing a trapezold, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 13.

&

The floating lever 91 is guided at 116 between the two guides 117, 117 and at 118 is guided between two guides 119, 119 all of said guides constituting a part of a sliding head 120. The sliding head 120 has connected thereto or formed as a part thereof a rearwardly extending spindle 121 which is cylindrical in form and is slidably arranged in a suitable bearing provided in the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine, said spindle carrying at its rear end a cam roll 122 located in a cam groove 123 formed in a cam 124, said cam being adapted to impart a horizontal reciprocatory motion to the head 120, whereby said head, at the proper time in the operation of the machine, is carried forward and backward. In the initial position of the machine, the head 120 stands at its extreme forward position, as shown in full lines in Figs. 6 and 8, while its rearward position is indicated by dotted lines in said figures. Thus it will be seen that at a certain time in the operation of the machine the feed spur is lo cated in vertical alinement with the slot 89 so as to be adapted to enter the same under the influence of the shoe feeding mechanism and at the proper time in the operation of the machine, as will be hereinafter more fully described, the sliding head carries said spur forward out of vertical alinement with said slot. The sliding head 120 is held against rotation by means of a depending arm 125 fast thereto or formed thereon, said arm extending between two guide plates 126 which permit said head to reciprocate longitudinally but prevent the same from rotating.

W ire feeding me0hanism.Referring now particularly to Figs. 14 to 22, inclusive, and also to Figs. 2 and 4, 127 is a wire reel of any suitable or desired construction, the same being journaled on a pin 128 fast to a bracket 129 which is fast to the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine. The wire 130 leading from said reel passes first through a rocker arm 131 and thence through a Wire guide 132 having a flaring entrance bounded by two converging walls 133, 133 leading to a straight passage 134 formed in said guide. The converging walls 133 make it easy to start the wire into the guide when a new coil of wire is placed on the machine and introduced into the guide. The rocker arm 131 has slidably arranged therein a gripper rod 135 which is adapted to contact with one side of the wire 130 at the proper time in the operation of the ma chine to grip said wire by pressing the same against a screw-threaded adjustable plug 136 constituting an abutment located in the end of said rocker arm.

The rocker arm 131 is fast to or formed integral with a sleeve 137 which passes through and is journaled in a second sleeve 138, said sleeve 138 being journaled in a bearing 139 on the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine. Fast to the sleeve 137 is a collar 140 to which one end of a helical torsional spring 141 is fast, said spring being fast at its other end to a sleeve 142, while a stop pin 143 inserted in one of a plurality of holes 144 in said sleeve abuts against a portion of the head casting and holds said sleeve against rotation in one direction, thereby maintaining said spring under tension. The sleeve 142 is journaled in a bearing 145 on the head casting 43 of the machine. The spring 141 is so arranged that it tends to hold the arm 131 against a movable stop 146 which consists of a rocker arm fast to the sleeve 138. Fast to or formed integral with the sleeve 138 is a rocker arm 147 to which a link 148 is pivotally connected at 149, said link being pivotally connected at 150 to a rocker arm 151 fast to a rock shaft 152, said shaft being journaled in suitable bearings in the head casting 43 of the machine. The rock shaft 152 has fast thereto a second rocker arm 153 to which a link 154 is pivoted at 155, the lower end of said link being pivoted at 156 on the horn treadle 58. Thus it will be seen that the horn 54, which occupies varying positions owing to varying thicknesses of stock placed between said horn and the shoe rest 53, acts through the horn treadle 58, link 154, rocker arm 153, rock shaft 152, rocker arm 151, link 148, rocker arm 147, and sleeve 138 to vary the position of the arm 146 which constitutes a stop for the arm 131. lVhen the horn 54 is depressed, the same acts through the connections just described to swing the stop 146 toward the left, Figs. 2, 16 and 18. The upper end of the gripper rod 135 is provided with a beveled face 157, said face being adapted to engage a corresponding beveled face 158 formed on a rod 159 which is slidably arranged within the slecve 137, the left hand end of the rod 159 passing into a hole 160 formed in a cam lever 161.

The left hand extremity of the rod 159 normally bears against an abutment 162 consisting of a screw having screw-threaded engagement with the lever 161, said screw having fast thereto an arm 163 by means of which said screw may be rotated to move the same out of engagementwith the end of the rod 159. The arm 163 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 14 by means of a pin 164 mounted on a spring 165 fast to the lever 161. The lever 161 has journaled thereon a cam roll 166 located in a cam groove 167 formed in a cam 168 fast to the driving shaft 44, said cam being adapted to impart a rocking movement to said lever at the proper time in the operation of the machine, whereby said arm acts through the rod 159 and by reason of the beveled faces 157 and 158 to force the gripper rod 135 downwardly against the wire 130, thereby tightly gripping said wire against the abutment 136. The wire having thus been gripped, a rocking movement is imparted to the arm 131 to move the same from the position shown in Fig. 16 to the position shown in Fig. 18 through the instrumentality of an arm 169 having journaled thereon a cam roll 170 adapted to be engaged by a cam 171 fast to the driving shaft 44. It will be seen that the stop 146, by determining the starting point of the arm 131, determines the length of wire fed. The wire in being drawn from the reel by the arm 131 has a tendency to become pinched between the convolutions of wire on said reel and thus tends to interfere with the proper feeding of the wire from the reel. To obviate this difficulty, the reel 127 is rotated by means of a shoe 172 having frictional engagement with the periphery of one side of said reel, said shoe being fast to a pin 173 slidably mounted on an arm 174, said arm being pivoted to rock on a stud 175 fast to the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine. The shoe 172 is held in contact with the periphery of the reel 127 by means of a helical compression spring 176 bearing at one end against a shoulder 177 formed on the pin 173 and hearing at its other end against an adjustable abutment screw 178 having screw-threaded engagement with the arm 174. The pin 173 is provided with a head 17 9 which may be grasped by the fingers to withdraw the shoe 172 out of engagement with the periphery of the reel 127 at any time when it becomes necessary to remove said reel from the machine. The arm 174 is pivotally connected at 180 to an eccentric rod 181, said eccentric rod having fast thereto or formed integral therewith an eccentric strap 182, which surrounds an eccentric 183 formed on or fast to the driving shaft 44, said eccentric being adapted to act through said strap, said rod and said arm to impart a reciprocatory motion to the shoe 172.

hen the arm 131 in its feeding movement is carried toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 16 to the position shown in Fig. 18, the shoe 172 is also car ried toward the right and the reel 127 is rotated thereby in the proper direction to cause a .supply of slack wire to exist between said reel and said arm and thereby taking the load off of said arm. When the arm 131 moves backward in an idle movement from the right toward the left, the cam 168, at the beginning of such movement, acts to move the lever 161 in the pro er direction to relieve the pressure of the eveled face 158 against the beveled face 157, consequently, relieving the pressure of the rod 135 against the wire 130, so that said rod does not pinch said wire at all, and said lever act-s to simultaneously actuate the wire locking device which prevents the wire 130 from being drawn toward the left by the backward movement of the shoe 172 upon the reel 127 combined with the friction of the rod 135 and abutment 136 which tend to carry said wire backward. This wire locking device comprises a gripper rod 184 which is slidably arranged in a hole provided in a cutter block 185 fast to the head casting 43 of the frame of the machine, to which block the wire guide 132 is also fast. The gripper rod 184 is provided with a depression 186 having a beveled face 187 which is adapted to be engaged by a cor-' responding beveled face 188 formed on a rod 189 slidably arranged in the cutter block 185, the left hand end of the rod 189 being located in a hole 190 formed in the lever 161.

Surrounding the rod 189 is a helical compression spring 191 which bears at one end against a collar 192 fast to said rod and at its other end against the lever 161, said spring acting at all times to maintain the wire locking gripper rod 184 in contact with the wire 130. The left hand extremity of the rod 189 is normally separated by a slight space from an abutment consisting of a screw 193 having screw-threaded engagement with the lever 161, said screw having fast thereto an arm 194. The arm 194 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 14 by a pin 195 fast to a spring 196, said spring being fast to the lever 161, said arm being located between said pin and a lug 197 on said lever. WVhen the lower end of the lever 161 is moved toward the right, the right hand end of the screw 193 abuts against the left hand end of the rod 189 and acts through said rodto apply a positive pressure of the wire locking gripper rod 184 against the wire 130. The arm 194 is secured to the screw 193 by means of a nut 198 having screw-threaded engagement with a portion of said screw, said nut being adapted to clamp said arm against a shoulder 199 formed on said screw. When it is desired to vary the distance between the right hand end of the screw 193 and the left hand end of the rod 189, the nut 198 is loosened and said screw is then rotated by placing a wrench upon a square head 200 formed on said screw, In like manner, the arm 163 is secured to the screw 162 by means of a nut 201 having screw-threaded engagement with a portion of said screw, said nut being adapted to clamp said arm against a shoulder 202 formed thereon, while said screw is provided with a square head 203 by means of which the same may be rotated, whereby the wire feeding gripper rod 135 may be caused to grip the wire 130 with more or less pressure.

The arm 163 is normally located between the pin 161 and a lug 201 on the lever 161,

said pin and said lug thereby acting -to hold the screw 162 against rotation. Vhenever it becomes necessary to place a new coil of wire on the reel 127, the spring supported pins 161 and 105 are pressed toward the right, Fig. 11, and the arms 163 and 191 are then rotated upwardly into contact with lugs 205 and 206, respectively, on the lever 161. This leaves the wire free from the pressure of the gripper rod 135 and the only pressure upon the wire locking gripper rod 181 is due to the tension of the spring 191. The old wire may then be removed from the wire guide 132 and wire feeding arm 131 and the free end of the new coil of wire may then be introduced.

We're cutting and point bending mechanism.Referring now particularly to Fig. 23, the wire in being fed through the wire guide 132 along the line A-A passes across the top of a stationary cutter 207 fast to the cutter block 185, said cutter being provided with a beveled face 208 terminating at its upper edge in a line which extends diagonally across the wire, said cutter being secured to said cutter block by means of screws 209. A movable cutter 210 is provided with a slot 211 through which a clamp screw 212 extends, said screw having screw-threaded engagement with a cutter lever 213, whereby said cutter is adjust-ably secured to said lever. An adjusting screw 211 having screwthreaded engagement with the lever 213 bears against the upper port-ion of the cut ter 210, whereby said cutter may be adjusted vertically, there being a check nut 215 which looks said screw against rotation. The cut ter lever 213 is pivoted to rock on a boss 216 formed on the cutter block 185, said lever having a jaw 217 in which is located a rectangular sliding block 218, said block being pivotally mounted at 219 on a bell crank lever 220.

The bell crank lever 220 which is pivoted at 221 on the head casting 13 of the machine is provided at its upper end with a jaw 222 in which a rectangular block 223 is slida-bly arranged, said block being pivotally mounted on a cam roll stud 221. On the cam roll stud 221 is journaled a cam roll 225 which is located in a cam groove 226 formed in a cam 227 fast to the driving shaft 11. The stud 221 is fast to a bell crank lever 228 pivoted at 229 on the head casting 13 of the machine. At the proper time in the operation of the machine, the cam 227 acts through the connections just described to impart a rocking movement to the cutter lever 213 to reciprocate the cutter 210 and cause the same to cooperate with the stationary eutter207 to sever a piece of the wire 130 to form a blank which is subsequently, bent to form a staple, as hereinafter set forth.

To prevent the blank just referred to from being carried up by the movable cutter 210 in its ascent, there is provided a stripper 230 which is secured to the cutter block 185 by means of a screw 231, the lower extremity of said stripper being arranged at a sufficient distance above the upper face of the stationary cutter 207 to allow the wire to pass therebetween. Now it is desirable that the points of each staple, when the same is formed, shall both lie in a plane coinciding with one side of the staple and to that end, after each blank has been cut off, the sharp end of the wire which projects through the wire guide 132 and across the upper face of the stationary cutter 207 is bent transversely of the wire means of a bending device 232 having a beveled front face 233 which engages the back edge of the tapered point of the wire and bends the same forward so that the point lies in the same plane as the front face of the wire, it being understood that the wire employed is preferably rectangular in cross section.

The point bending device 232 is fast to or formed integral with an arm 231 pivoted on a stud 235 secured to a shoe rest holder 236 to which the shoe rest 53 is also fast. The arm 231 extends between a block 237 and a downwardly projecting part of an L- shaped arm 238 both of which are fast to the sliding head 120, said block and said arm being shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and said arm being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 23, there being a space between said block and said arm greater in width than the width of said arm. As the sliding head 120 moves forward the downwardly exlending part of the arm 238 engages the arm 231 at 239, see Fig. 23, and carries said arm and the bending device 232 forward, thereby causing the front beveled face 233 of said bending device to engage and bend the projecting point of the wire forward until its previously cut face lies in the plane of the front face of the wire. Subsequently, when the sliding head 120-moves backward there is a lost motion between the block 237 and the arm 231 and finally said block brings up against said arm, carrying the same backward at the proper time, thereby carrying the beveled face 233 back to the rear face of the wire.

The backward movement of the wire bending device 232 is limited in extent by a lug 210 formed on the arm 231, said lug being adapted to engage an adjustable stop screw 211 having screw-threaded engagement with a boss 212 on the head casting 13 of the frame. In practice, the front corner of the beveled face 233 should lie in the plane of the back face of the wire so as to assist in properly guiding the wire and to this end such adjustment may be effected by means of the stop screw 211. Fast to the shoe rest 

